Russell Westbrook was, of course, being disingenuous when he noted over the weekend that “I don’t play for All-Star bids. I play to win championships.” He was asked about his reaction to his failure to crack the West starting unit, and he replied the only way he could. What else was he expected to point out in the face of voting results, which placed him first in the eyes of members of the media and his peers but only third from the point of view of fans? How else was he going to react after continuing to put up astounding numbers not seen in 55 years?
In truth, Westbrook didn’t have to say anything. He was most definitely hurt by the snub; he would have been under normal circumstances, but even more so in light of his triple-double norm halfway through the season. Absent his exertions, the Thunder would have proven conventional wisdom true and performed as an also-ran following one-time league Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant’s departure. And yet he was still left out of the conference’s All-Star First Five. Heck, what else did he need to do in order to earn the nod of hoops followers? However, to admit it out loud would be tantamount to adding injury to insult.
Make no mistake. Westbrook will be at the All-Star Game. As sure as night follows day, he will be chosen by head coaches as a reserve. And while there’s nothing he can do about voting results, he remains in charge of his own showing. “I play to become a better player… I just continue doing what I’m doing and play the game the right way, and everything else will work out.” He’s right to concentrate on factors over which he has control. It’s not his fault the Thunder have a small market and offer little pull outside of the Sooner State; in comparison, the Warriors and Rockets command a significant following beyond the United States and, most importantly, in vote-rich China, thereby boosting the tallies of Stephen Curry and James Harden.
Which, in a nutshell, means Westbrook figures to be even better in the second half of his 2016-2017 campaign. He has played with a chip on his shoulder since being chosen fourth overall in the 2008 draft, and he will most definitely use the slight as motivation. Bottom line, he’s an All-Star, and he aims to show all and sundry that he’s first among equals.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.